Amp's CCIE Quest On a quest for the digits…

IPX CCIE Voice Advanced Boot Camp Wrap-Up

Ok so I have been away for quite some time from the blogging world. Between the new job and greater responsibility, I have been trying to increase my studying for the CCIE Voice exam.

I am on day 6 of my 10 day IPexpert CCIE Voice End-to-End Boot Camp. I will try and summarize the experience in as much detail as I can possible remember. These boot camps are NOT for the faint/weak/soft at heart.

During the 1st week it is expected that you have gone through, at a minimum, all of the VOD's, the walk-throughs, and all of the vol. 1 labs. If you have not done that, then make that a priority. Speaking of priority; learning the technologies and the intricacies of each and every blueprint technology is a must. Do not move on to a technology until you have mastered the one before it. If you have to study infrastructure until you think your name is CDP or LLDP, then do it. If you have to eat, sleep, and spit gateways and gatekeepers then do it. Make LEARNING the technologies your highest priority.

Anyway, back to the boot camp wrap up. Each student is given their own pod of equipment to work on that will only be used by that student for the entire duration of the boot camp. You are also given a lecture book and a lab book. The lectures are fast paced, hence my advice to watch the VODs and the walk-throughs multiple times before coming, with a lab requirement for each section. The instructor would review the section, answer any questions that we may have, but most importantly point out some "gotchas" that could quite possibly ruin your day. Take good notes on those gotchas, because once they bite you, trust me it hurts really bad.

There isn't too much else I can say about week one. Everything you need to know is already in the IPexpert Voice BLS. Take the time to effectively and efficiently study the BLS. I found myself having trouble with Gateways here at the boot camp, so I came in on Saturday, watched the Gateways VOD again, watched Vik go through the walk-through and I did vol. 1 lab 4 over and over and over again for 8 hours. And guess what? It helped! My point is do what you have to do to understand the material to the point where you will not be stopped by it.

If I can offer any advice it is to:
1. Make a decision to pursue this journey with all that you have.
2. Make a commitment to it. Create a study plan and schedule and hold yourself accountable to it.
3. Find someone to study with, no matter what you have to do, find someone to study with. This also helps with the accountability.
4. Every single day study something. Even if you can't get on a rack and configure stuff, read a document. Listen to an audio class. Watch a video. Use notepad and configure your gateways, translation-rules, etc.
5. Learn the debugs. Capture the debugs when the calls are working and when they aren't working. Save them in separate text files and use a document comparing tool and compare the difference.
6. Never take for granted the stuff that you believe you know. Meaning, don't get cocky.
7. Develop your exam day strategy early on and use it every time you lab. Why? So that it becomes 2nd nature and you don't waste time in the lab fumbling around with it.
8. Be honest with yourself about what your weak areas are and work on strengthening them. Ask for help. I have found that people genuinely want to see you pass this exam.
9. Keep it simple.
10. Remember that variety is the spice of life. Change up the labs to test your knowledge of the technologies. If a lab says to use MGCP, use H.323 instead. If it says to do this, then do that, etc.

Well that's all for now. I have to get back to strengthening my weak areas.